PICS | At least 32 die in Bangladesh ferry accident

News24
30 Jun 2020, 05:11 GMT+10

The ferry had departed from central Munshiganj district. It sank as it was about to moor at Sadarghat, Dhaka's main river port used by hundreds of boats to travel to the country's south.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's chief, Commodore Golam Sadeqk, told AFP the single-deck ship was "not overcrowded" and sank "due to carelessness".

He said the vessel had been cleared to carry passengers until September.

Witnesses told local television stations many passengers appeared to be stuck in the ferry's cabins.

The deceased were put in body bags before they were laid in rows at the harbour front. Another boat would later arrive to lift the damaged vessel from the water, Siddique said.

Boat accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by more than 230 rivers.

The South Asian nation is heavily reliant on ferries for transport but has had a poor safety record.

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